Day 37 Nantes to Oudon

Day 37. Nantes to Oudon. 36.10 kms cycled. 2.16 hours cycling. 29.52 km/h max speed. 15.82 km/h average speed. Weather – overcast, cold, but finally with a westerly wind blowing – and I am heading the right way – east.

Now this is the France that I came to explore!! After booking a ridiculously expensive very ordinary room near the Gare (rail station) at Nantes following my late evening arrival, it was a slow start to the day with a much needed sleep in to try to recover from the traffic-related stress of the previous day.

  But things soon picked up. Nantes is a wonderful city; historic, picturesque, has upmarket shopping and is surprisingly easy to wander around without getting lost.

  With my bike and worldly possessions safe in storage at the hotel, I was able to set off on foot to explore the town and enjoyed about 4 hours looking at the royal palace, wandering around the streets and generally soaking up the Loire ambience.

  Unfortunately the closest campground to the centre of the city was a good 10km away, so by mid-afternoon I decided it was time to get moving again and was actually quite excited to be back cycling along the banks of the Loire again.

  The river holds many great memories following my first visit here in 2007 for a week of guided cycling. It was my first introduction to France and its food and culture; it was where I hatched the seed of an idea for a long distance cycle tour across Europe; and I am finally BACK.

  Armed with as many Loire River cycle route guides as I could get my hands on I set off with a big smile on my face and the memories of those thundering trucks from the day before thankfully fading quickly.

  With a strongly westerly wind at my back the cycling was easy, so I just cruised the 36km to Oudon where I set up camp and headed off to explore my second chateau for the day - Chateau d’Oudon.

  My plan at this stage through to Orleans where I will leave the Loire is to basically travel from one chateau to another, and I can assure you there are plenty to see. As a result my progress will slow down considerably, but that was always the plan.

  The Loire region is so picturesque that I am looking forward to seeing as much as possible and really want to soak it all in.

  And it will also be a pleasure to ride 400+ kms without having to battle with those notorious French roads and drivers!!

captions; Pics 1,2,3 - Around Nantes. Pic 4 & 5: My first chateau - Nantes. Pic 6: My first glimpse of the Loire. Pic 7: THis guy was standing guard outside the chateau in Oudon. Pic 8: The chateau at Oudon. Pic 9: A beautiful setting in Oudon.